* 7:05 pm - Gov. Rod Blagojevich missed another impeachment trial deadline…
…Blagojevich failed to answer impeachment charges, meaning the Illinois Senate plans to enter a “not guilty” plea on his behalf.
Blagojevich attorney Sheldon Sorosky said today the governor’s legal team filed no appearance or response to today’s 4 p.m. Senate deadline.
The governor had until 4 o’clock today to file any motions to dismiss “the sufficiency of articles of impeachment.”
He previously missed a Saturday deadline to “answer to article of impeachment.”
* The governor was also fingerprinted again…
The governor, charged with political corruption, was fingerprinted again because the quality of the first set of prints taken last month was not considered good enough, sources said.
The fingerprinting inside the federal courthouse came on a Blagojevich visit to pretrial services that his attorneys characterized as routine. The governor’s attorneys noted that the governor is required to appear at the offices whenever directed. His lead lawyer, Edward Genson, was not present.
* 7:24 pm - Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn reported having just $83,500 in his campaign account today while raising $142,032.50 during the final six months of 2008. Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has not yet filed. Here are some more numbers…
Attorney General Lisa Madigan reported having $3.5 million in her campaign account after raising just over $1 million in the second half of 2008, the period the report covers.
Comptroller Dan Hynes raised $644,000 and had $2.9 million in the bank. […]
Among Republicans mentioned for the governor’s office, state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington has $331,000; Sen. Dan Rutherford of Chenoa has $263,000; and DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett has $45,000.
Republican Doug Whitley reported raising $85,389.58 and had $81,588.70 in the bank.
And the guv had a bit of trouble with his D-2 filing…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s attorneys say that when FBI agents carried out a search warrant at his campaign office, they may have confiscated documents he needed to file complete financial disclosure reports.
Attorney Anthony J. Jacob said in a letter Tuesday to the Illinois State Board of Elections that the Friends of Blagojevich committee filed its report. But he says the FBI seized paperwork on Dec. 9 that may contain information that needs to be disclosed.
Jacob says the committee has requested the information from the FBI and will update its report as needed.
You can read the letter on this page.
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Rahm throws Jesse White under the bus
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rahm Emanuel placed full blame on Jesse White for Roland Burris’ seating in the US Senate…
MR. EMANUEL: …Well, the secretary of state of, of Illinois signed the papers to seat [Burris]. At that point there wasn’t a objection for the Senate. He was seated and has served at ready and cast his vote, as he did the other day.
MR. GREGORY: Senate Democrats switched their position, allowed him to serve.
MR. EMANUEL: You know, and also…
MR. GREGORY: As did the president-elect.
MR. EMANUEL: Yeah. Once, once the papers were signed by the secretary of state, who originally said he wasn’t going to sign it, he signed them.
Jesse White never signed the appointment certificate, and Emanuel surely knows it. White autopen signed a different document which merely authenticated the original, unsigned (by White) document. The Senate Democrats then used that technicality to weasel out of its pledge to block any appointment made by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
This is just one more reason why I despise Washington, DC.
First, the Senate Democrats said they’d block anyone appointed by RRB. Then they watched with horror as Blagojevich & Co. played the race card at every opportunity, so they began to backtrack. When they realized that their bluff was called, they found a convenient African-American politician to be their scapegoat, Jesse White. “See? It’s not us white guys and gals in the Senate who are blocking Burris, it’s that black guy!” And they, through Emanuel, continue this fiction to today.
Disgusting.
* This is interesting…
Burris was seen walking near the U.S. Supreme Court building on his way to another inauguration event. He was stopped constantly by admirers hoping to get his picture and shake his hand.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Burris said as he hurried off.
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Good times for Republicans?
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mike Lawrence looks ahead at 2010…
…the Republican gubernatorial hopeful in 2010 must offer blueprints instead of bromides on state finances, ethics reform and education issues, such as closing the academic achievement gap between whites and minorities and assimilating the youngest of our burgeoning immigrant population—matters vital to Illinois’ economic destiny.
Although Blagojevich and the Burris appointment may have kick-started a Republican resurgence and significantly improved GOP chances to garner the governorship and the U.S. Senate seat, the demographics still favor Democrats. In addition, Madigan and rising Democratic stars may have mitigated voter vengeance by pressing for Blagojevich’s ouster.
Republicans cannot rely solely on Blagojevich backlash. They must field outstanding candidates with mainstream views and somehow protect them from being cannibalized in primary-election holy wars by right-wing fanatics. Witness the internecine thrashing that left gubernatorial nominees Jim Ryan and Judy Baar Topinka bloodied as they entered battle with Blagojevich in 2002 and 2006.
It is fair for Republicans to attack. But they also must attract.
* And I’m not sure representing himself as an “outsider” is gonna work all that well for Doug Whitley…
We’ll soon get a new governor in the form of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn. But can Quinn fix this mess in the two years left on Blago’s term? Doug Whitley thinks not. Whitley, on leave from his job as president of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, is a Republican running for governor in 2010. […]
Whitley has a calm demeanor and a pragmatic approach to public affairs. In the past, Whitley headed the Taxpayers Federation, ran Ameritech and was budget director for our last ethical governor — Jim Edgar.
Except for the stint with Edgar, Whitley has been just outside government, lobbying for pro-business laws to create jobs in the private sector. […]
Whitley presents himself as the outsider who nevertheless is intimately familiar with how government works and how it doesn’t. That combination could play very well with voters fed up with the same old pay-to-play crowd of professional politicians.
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5th CD roundup *** UPDATED x2 ***
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
*** UPDATE 1 *** Fox Chicago has a story up about misleading poll questions in a survey sponsored by Rep. Feigenholtz’s campaign. Both Rep. Fritchey and Commissioner Quigley blast their opponent for the poll. Click here to watch the story.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Quigley responds to the Feigenholtz poll via press release…
“The people of the 5th Congressional district deserve better than this kind of negative, slash-and-burn politics and personal attacks,” Quigley said. […]
“This campaign should be an honest discussion of which candidate has the best record of reform and the ability to bring change to Washington—not a contest to see who can sling the most mud.
[ *** End of Updates *** ]
* We’ll see if any winnowing happens in the coming days as challenges are filed, but the 5th District field is jam-packed, and Ald. O’Connor’s people say that “the sleeping giant” has been awakened…
Twenty-six candidates will vie to succeed former U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the incoming White House chief of staff, in a March 3 primary in the 5th District.
Among those filing nominating petitions by Monday’s deadline was Ald. Pat O’Connor (40th), Mayor Daley’s unofficial City Council floor leader. O’Connor filed about 5,000 signatures — nearly five times the 927 needed to get on the Democratic ballot — in an apparent show of force designed to combat a slatemaking embarrassment on Jan. 10.
O’Connor went into the slatemaking session saying he was close to wrapping up the Democratic Party’s endorsement, but state Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) got nearly three times as many weighted votes.
“Some people blamed me. They said I wasn’t aggressive enough,” O’Connor said Monday. “It wakes you up. . . . It strengthened my resolve to make sure I was filing a large number of signatures.”
The full list is here.
* Laura Washington thinks recent history shows Rep. Sara Feigenholtz has a great shot at winning the Democratic primary…
The “experts” already are calling Feigenholtz, a North Side legislator, a front-runner for the Democratic nomination. The diverse district spans a chunk of Chicago’s North Side and extends into the west suburbs. The 14-year legislator claims a $300,000-and-counting war chest and filed 4,000 signatures on her petition for the March 3 primary.
There are a couple of other women contenders, but right now they don’t have significant skin in the game. So this pundit advises that Feigenholtz remember just two words: Anita Alvarez.
Last year, in her first pitch for public office, the career county prosecutor whipped a crowded field in a heated Democratic primary race for Cook County state’s attorney. She was dismissed as a no-name by the party honchos and dissed by her own boss, who endorsed her office rival, Bob Milan.
Alvarez capitalized on their myopia by promoting a platform of the working mom bound to serve and protect children and families. She donned snazzy red suits, ran a flurry of snappy commercials, and touted her record. She took the nomination and went on to clobber Republican rival Tony Peraica with 78 percent of the vote, becoming the first Hispanic and woman to serve as the county’s chief prosecutor.
* I told you about Mike Quigley’s poll a few days ago, here’s more from the polling summary…
Quigley also maintains a 4-point lead over Feigenholtz when O’Connor is included in a similar vote (Quigley 14% / Feigenholtz 10% / O’Connor 8% / Fritchey 7%). Quigley is better able to translate his popularity into real vote — 40% more than O’Connor is able to do
with the same name identification. Quigley also leads the pack as the most likely “second choice” of voters.
In one-on-one match-ups with other leading candidates… Quigley leads Feigenholtz by 13 points (Quigley 30% / Feigenholtz 17%) and Fritchey by 19 points (Quigley 32% / Fritchey 13%).
…Almost 90% (89%) of voters would be more likely to support a candidate who has led the fight for government reform on the Cook County Board (56% much more likely)… Similarly, a candidate who led the fight against Todd Stroger’s sales tax increase is also extremely appealing (72% total more likely / 43% much more likely).
Forrest Claypool is extremely popular among 5th District Democrats (66% Fav / 9% Unfav), with a favorability ratio of better than 7 to 1. A Claypool endorsement could play a major role in this race, with 56% of primary voters more likely to vote for a candidate with Claypool’s support.
Those high undecideds make this race impossible to call.
* Related…
* IL-5: Internal Poll Shows Quigley With Early Lead
* 26 file for congressional seat vacated by Rahm Emanuel
* Professor aims to challenge Chicago Way
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A futile and stupid gesture *** UPDATED x1 ***
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
*** UPDATE *** I told subscribers about this today…
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has filed no answer to impeachment charges against him as the state Senate directed.
He may still file a request to dismiss the charges in the Senate, which is preparing to put him on trial Jan. 26. Senators will decide whether to remove him from office.
Toby Trimmer is spokesman for Senate President John Cullerton. Trimmer says if the governor does not file any paperwork before the trial, a plea of “not guilty” will be entered for him.
Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero says he knows of no plans to file any documents.
[ *** End of Update *** ]
* The governor’s lawyers deny that no money for an impeachment defense was the reason they resigned from the case in protest last week…
With the governor strapped for cash, his lawyers were looking to his campaign fund for their fees. But prosecutors wouldn’t sign off on lawyers tapping into the Friends of Blagojevich war chest to cover legal expenses for the impeachment. They have agreed that some attorney fees can come out of the fund for the criminal case, though, sources said.
The Blagojevich campaign fund’s latest report showed it had more than $3.6 million in it.
While there’s no formal government order that bans defense lawyers from tapping the fund, prosecutors have filed a notice that they intended to freeze it. Since receiving that notice — which came about a week after the governor’s Dec. 9 arrest on corruption charges, including an allegation he tried to sell an appointment to succeed Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate — Blagojevich’s lawyers have been careful to take money from the fund only with government permission, fearing the money might be seized later, sources said.
Lawyers for Blagojevich said the possibility of not getting paid didn’t factor into their decision to pull out of the Senate impeachment trial, which will go on without them.
“That’s nonsense,” said lead attorney Ed Genson. “Putting on this hearing was counterproductive, and anything other than what was best for the client.”
* Chuck Goudie suggests an “Animal House” ending to the impeachment ordeal…
When the state Senate gavels open its impeachment trial, our governor ought to keep in mind the most applicable quote from Eric Stratton in the movie:
“I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody’s part.”
That’s exactly what the governor’s lawyers did last Friday. Go read the whole thing.
* Meanwhile, another horror show…
The daughter-in-law of a Bridgeview concrete company executive, identified as “Highway Contractor 1″ in the federal charges against Gov. Rod Blagojevich, quietly was appointed to head a state commission and received a big bump in pay.
Lainie Krozel, 39, of Hinsdale, was promoted Oct. 1 by the governor to executive director of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission - about the same time that Blagojevich sought a $500,000 campaign donation from Gerald Krozel, vice president of Bridgeview’s Prairie Material, one of the state’s largest concrete producers, according to federal prosecutors.
* Related…
* Feds may not be done with gov’s go-to guy Kelly
* Daley: Blagojevich has to make his own decision to resign
* Some public seats to be available for impeachment trial
* A beginning for Obama, an ending for Blago
* Blagojevich cites N.C. case to deny clemency file requests
* SIU probe finds no connection between Blagojevich, trustees
* The alphabet soup that has Gov. Blagojevich in hot water
* Another post for gov to fill
* Blago trial delays action on state’s real woes
* A new governor might help conservationists in Illinois
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* My syndicated newspaper column…
Illinois state Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) said last week that the Senate Democrats will seek “feedback” from the Senate Republicans before making final decisions on new rules for the chamber. Steans was put in charge of devising new rules by Senate President John Cullerton several months ago.
That statement, probably more than anything else that was said or done Thursday, illustrates how much things are about to change in the Illinois Senate.
For 10 years, Republican Senate President Pate Philip justified his partisan games by pointing to past grievances over how the Democrats had treated his caucus. Since Democrat Emil Jones became Senate President in 2003, we’ve heard an almost exact replica of Pate’s old refrains time and time again, only with the aggrieved parties reversed.
It was long past time to get beyond this endless back-and-forth goofiness, and that appears to be happening now that Jones has finally retired.
The chamber’s rules have always been the province of the Senate president, and he (it’s always a “he”) has held tightly to that power and used it for his own and his own party’s advantage. So, the president’s majority party consulting the minority party on proposed new rules is absolutely without precedence.
The old rules allowed the Senate president to control almost every single aspect of the Senate’s activities. Members couldn’t advance any legislation of any kind without the Senate Rules Committee’s approval. The committee, of course, was completely controlled by the Senate president. In other words, nothing moved without one person’s say-so. It has been an intolerable situation, particularly for the party that was out of power.
The new rules will be addressed and adopted once the impeachment trial of Gov. Rod Blagojevich ends sometime early next month. The one change that appeared Thursday was a new “Committee on Assignment” in place of the old and often-hated Rules Committee. Killing off the Rules Committee would be akin to knocking down the Berlin Wall.
Cullerton also pledged last week to end a notorious practice made infamous by Philip and continued with gusto by Jones: Sending bills to the House that are obviously doomed in order to put some sort of political pressure on the other chamber. The tactic never worked, and more often than not backfired badly.
“We must reach agreement (with the House) rather than trying to one-up each other by passing bills that will never be enacted,” Cullerton said during his inaugural address.
Cullerton’s new chief of staff even wandered over to the press box last week for a chat - something that I’ve never seen happen in the almost 19 years I’ve been covering the chamber. He later promised a much more open approach by the Senate Democrats’ operation.
And when the governor’s defense lawyers quit in protest over the Senate’s impeachment trial rules last week, Cullerton said it wouldn’t delay the trial.
“That’s his problem. Get another lawyer,” said Cullerton, adding, “Rod can defend himself, he’s a lawyer.”
A response like that would’ve been unheard of during Blagojevich pal Jones’ tenure.
It’s more than just a new day. If this stuff continues, then we will be in an entirely new era. And once that fresh openness starts in the Senate, it may spread to the House.
And speaking of the House, Speaker Michael Madigan has refused to return Blagojevich’s phone calls for years, and has even refused to be in the same room with him since 2007. That intransigence (albeit for good reasons) has triggered a massive government meltdown since the governor’s 2006 re-election.
But things may be changing soon. Madigan told a Chicago radio station recently that he has met “on and off” with Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn during the past two years. Madigan also revealed the two men have discussed Quinn’s transition to the governor’s office. When the transition comes, Madigan said, “We’ll be ready to move forward to try and resolve some of these huge problems that afflict the state.”
Madigan said the first order of business would be to “balance the books … pay the bills,” noting the state is 90 to 120 days behind in its payments to state service providers.
The two men may not see eye to eye on solving all the problems, but at least Madigan will physically be looking Quinn in the eye if and or when he says “no.”
Discuss.
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Morning Shorts
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 - Posted by Mike Murray
* Hate crimes in Chicago plateau in 2008 after sharp drop in last decade
* Illinois Poverty News Weekly
* ‘Shovel-ready’ jobs in need of stimulus
New bike lanes, reduction of CTA slow zones, and sidewalk and curb ramp improvements are all non-highway projects that could be funded by the $850 billion economic stimulus bill before the U.S. House. […]
The stimulus bill, intended to create jobs, currently contains $40 billion for transportation — with $30 billion for highways, city projects and non-highway transportation enhancements, and $10 billion for transit.
* A never-ending fight to fix roads
Winter weather, funding cuts taking a big toll on Chicago’s thoroughfares
* Asphalt the winner for most Illinois roads, But concrete lasts longer
The cost to construct one lane mile of an asphalt-topped arterial street averages about $200,000, according to IDOT.
The cost to build one lane mile of a concrete expressway ranges from $285,000 to $400,000, IDOT said.
Costs in both categories vary depending on numerous factors, including the local price of materials near the work site, officials said.
Last year, IDOT spent more than $27 million patching and resurfacing roads in the Chicago area. The Illinois tollway spends about
* Green-collar economy taking root in Chicago
* Green revolution taking root in 1st Ward
* Holding pattern
O’Hare, annually neck-and-neck with Hartsfield-Jackson for the title of world’s busiest, could be poised to take over the top spot as airlines threaten to shift flights from Atlanta’s airport due to a possible increase in fees
* Sun-Times Media shareholders support board revamp
Most of Sun-Times Media Group Inc.’s board, including its chief executive officer, are set to be replaced after one of the media company’s largest shareholders said it gathered enough support from fellow investors to force a change.
* J.P. Morgan Chase to close 57 local WaMu branches
* Ill. factory lays off 26 percent of work force
A railroad repair company in an Illinois suburb of St. Louis says it’s been hit by the automobile industry’s decline and must lay off 31 workers.
* U. of I. endowment plummets $400M
* City drops satellite dish tax
Daley quietly introduced a repeal this past week of the ordinance tied to his 2009 budget requiring satellite customers to pay the 9 percent amusement tax that applies to monthly cable TV bills.
To get around a federal law that appears to ban cities from taxing direct-broadcast satellite services, Daley wanted to require DirecTV and Dish Network to give the city’s Revenue Department the name, address and phone number of all of their Chicago subscribers so the city could do the billing.
Customer billing information would have been due by Aug. 15 each year — unless DirectTV and Dish volunteered to “collect and remit” the tax itself to the city. The companies also would have been required to warn subscribers they were “liable for the amusement tax” and “may receive a separate bill from the city.”
* ‘Smart card’ letters are in the mail: RTA
* The fight to keep judges safe
Security concerns at the federal courthouse in Chicago and at Cook County’s courthouses have prompted a crackdown on people who might pose a threat to judges, prosecutors and other public officials.
* Crack down on people who pose threats to judges
* Police investigate ’suspicious package’ to Daley
* City boss demoted for leaving window open
A $108,732-a-year superintendent in Chicago’s Streets and Sanitation Department has been suspended for 15 days without pay and reassigned for allegedly leaving an office window open during subzero temperatures, triggering a flood that caused damage estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars .
* Local election filing open
* Mayor races shaping up in Northwest suburbs
* First day of filing sees a couple big mayoral races in Kane County
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Inauguration day open thread
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
Let’s try not to be too political. Keep comments confined to the festivities themselves.
If you’re in DC, tell us what you’re seeing, where you’re going, etc. If you’re staying at home and watching it all on the teevee or the Intertubes, give us the highlights.
Also, inaugural party locations, etc. would be appreciated for some readers.
…Adding… The full text of Obama’s address is here.
* Some related stories…
* GOP Lawmaker, Obama Friend, Hits Inaugural Festivities: A John McCain supporter from Illinois is in Washington Tuesday for the inaugural festivities. State Senator Kirk Dillard has taken some flack for his friendship with Barack Obama.
* Spokesman: Blago is not in Washington
* Inaugural addresses where you can party in Chicago
* Inaugural gala won’t feature horseshoes
* Blagojevich’s legal trouble may have helped keep Ryan in prison
* George Ryan’s chances for presidential clemency look grim
* Sorry, George
* Durbin doubts Bush will help ex-Gov. Ryan
* Durbin: Ryan Commutation ‘Unlikely’
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